


Drunk in a Bathtub

by Percyyougloriousbastard



Series: Still time to grow [1]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 14:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21393721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Percyyougloriousbastard/pseuds/Percyyougloriousbastard
Summary: Gilbert drunk in a bathtub somehow proposes to Anne.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley
Series: Still time to grow [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543081
Comments: 13
Kudos: 207





	Drunk in a Bathtub

**Author's Note:**

> could not get this out of my head. its silly and as usual unedited but after 3x08 and what Bash said about proposing to Mary Drunk in a bathtub it just drilled its way in and had to come out. sorry.

Bash awoke to a bang, a moan and a curse word he hadn’t heard since his days on a steamer. What in the world was Blythe doing? With the encouragement of a small cry from a sleeping Dellie Bash decided be better investigate. He was half way to the kitchen when he heard yet another crash that ended with the tinkling sound of broken ceramic followed by yet another unsavoury word. Quickening his pace so he could tell Blythe to quiet down before he woke up Dellie. 

The sight that greeted him was so utterly unexpected that he almost slapped himself to make sure it was real. Fully clothed – or at least wearing most of his clothes he seem to be missing shoe and only one suspender was over his shoulder but he still had on a rumpled shirt and trousers – was Gilbert face down in the empty bath tub.

“Ah, Blythe,” He attempted, concerned but still fighting off laughter “do you need some assistance before you wake up the rest of the household?”

Gilbert groaned and swore again turning himself over to he was face up in the tub, legs hanging out the bottom. He looked a little green and was definitely going to have a bump on his head and Bash realised with a start that he smelled like cheap moonshine.

“You been drinking Blythe?” Bash questioned, eyebrow raised.

“Yes.” Gilbert mumbled with a dismissive wave, settling into the tub as if he planned to sleep there.

Bash almost took the opportunity to leave but something told him this was a little more than latent teenage rebellion and then like a slap in the face he remembered where Gilbert was coming from.

“Proposal went well I take it? Too much celebrating?”

“I didn’t propose.” Gilbert muttered ill temperedly, snuggling down in his metal bed.

This confused Bash, if he wasn’t celebrating he must be commiserating. Shaking his head and vowing to make sure Dellie cried extra loud near Gilbert’s bedroom door first thing in the morning for a little brotherly pay back Bash took a seat at the kitchen table.

“Tell me Blythe?” Gilbert just crossed his arms eye’s shut tight “Gilbert?”

“I couldn’t go through with it, I’m a coward and an ass.” Gilbert shouted, eyes suddenly open.  
“OK one thing at a time. What makes you a coward?” Bash settled in, this was going to be a long talk.

“I’m a coward because Winnie’s father laid everything I’ve ever wanted out before me on a silver platter and all I had to do was spend my life perfectly happy with a beautiful, caring and amazing woman as my wife and I was too scared to take it and now poof,” Gilbert made a poof gesture with on hand in front of his face “it’s gone because I am a coward.”

Bash watched waiting for more knowing it was coming because the look on Gilbert’s face said he was processing information he had only just realised.

“All I had to do was ask Winnie to marry me and then I would have been able to go to the Sorbonne, we’d have lived in Paris, I’ve never been to Paris but I’ve only ever heard fantastic things…” He looked thoughtful “He offered us an apartment in the city.”

“Who offered you an apartment?” Bash had an idea but Gilbert needed to keep talking so he prompted him forward.

“Mr. Rose, he told me Winnie loves Paris, said it was a beautiful city to begin a life together in. He spoke of a doctor friend of his who is a very experienced obstetrician.”

Bash frowned “Obstetrician?”

“Baby doctor Bash! He was thinking about grandchildren. I love Dellie, she is absolutely a miracle that I thank god for everyday but I’m not ready to be a father!” Gilbert heaved dryly and Bash made for the pail they kept next to the sink to fill the tub Gilbert had made himself at home in “That a pretty big commitment if you ask me.”

“Marriage is a big commitment Blythe.” Bash said seriously “I thought when you came to me, told me you had decided to marry, that you had seriously thought this all through?”

“Anne said she didn’t want a future together, what other choice did I have?” Ah, thought Bash, the ass part of the conversation “See, I told you I was an Ass, viewing Winnie as an ends to a means, so much for Anne’s article, may as well be buying cattle at auction.”

Gilbert looked sour and then very sad as he flopped back in the tub.

“Can’t say I thought you the sort Blythe, but I suppose sometimes a marriage of opportunity can be important.” Bash was sympathetic, he knew exactly how hard figuring this all out can be although he would need to have a little word to Gilbert about women sincerely hating being likened to cattle when the lad sobered up.

“Mary would whoop me around the ears if she caught wind of this.” Gilbert lamented, the air froze in Bash’s lungs “I promised her I’d marry only for love and here I am trying to tie myself to the first women with means to an opportunity.”

Bash hadn’t know about that and part of him wanted to whoop his own ears for not instilling such notions himself. 

“She’s so perfect on paper.” Gilbert sighed pressing his palms into his eyes “She’s so smart, and she’s lovely and she always knows just what to say and when I’m with her it’s so, so easy but I just can’t see the future. There is no blonde haired babes or hazel eyed school children, not stolen kisses between meals and not laughter at unholy hours. It’s just a perfectly laid out life, a series of checks and balances to achieve a goal.” A tear slid free from Gilbert’s eye and he swiped angrily at his eyes.

“How could I have even thought to propose to Winnie when all I want in the future is fiery red hair, and late night passionate arguments, sharing all we learned and truly wanting to share? How could I have deluded myself into thinking that I’d be satisfied with anything red haired babes with grey, blue eyes and how could I have fooled myself into thinking I was anything but a jackass. I’m everything Anne so rightly despises – a man who feels it his place to tell a women how to be. No wonder she didn’t want me.”

Gilbert let out an almost earth shattering sob so loud it almost drowned out the soft knock at the door. But Bash heard it. Looking between Gilbert falling apart in the tub and the front door which was now being beaten as if it were a matter of great importance Bash decided to away whoever decided that past midnight was a good time to visit before the caller woke Delphine. One last look to make sure Gilbert wasn’t able to harm himself in anyway Bash went to find out who was knocking.

Opening the door intending to shout a harsh word and send the intruder on their way Bash was stopped suddenly by the sight before him. Blythe’s red haired vision had materialised at their front door. Pale face streaked with tears and fiery hair aglow in the moon light was Anne herself come calling past midnight.

Reality set in and Bash used himself to block any view she may have had into the house, shielding Gilbert from her and her from Gilbert.

“Oh, Bash!” Anne cried “I’ve messed it all up and I know. I know, I’m a horrible awful scarlet women but I need to see Gilbert. I need to tell him he can’t marry Winnifred because… well because I’m hopelessly, undeniably and irrevocably in love with him.” Anne let loose another sob “I can’t let him go through with all this without knowing…” Anne’s shoulders shook as she watched her feet “Bash, I think he was trying to tell me, after the exams at the lake, I think he might feel the same…I can’t let him just marry her if it’s true.”

Bash was about to make some excuse, some reason to postpone this surely to be well received confession until morning when Gilbert let out an almighty belch and the wet sound of vomit hitting the bottom of a metal pail filled the air. Anne’s eye widened in horror.

“Is he ill?” Anne demanded suddenly not content to await Bash’s invitation and shoving her way past and in to the kitchen.

Bash took in all Anne must be seeing and with a secret smile decided that now was as go a time as any for the pair to figure this out.

“No, he is drunk as a skunk on moonshine and self-pity.” Bash answered, giving Anne a small shove into the room.

“What on earth?” Anne muttered suddenly sobered by Gilbert’s sorry state. The utterance only served to bring Gilbert back to the waking world as he said to Bash.

“See? Now I’m hearing he voice on the wind. I’m a complete and total jack ass.”

Anne smiled, and took the opportunity to playful scald Gilbert “Why, Gilbert Blythe such language in front of a lady.”

Eye’s shooting open and rocketing himself so hard into the far side of the tub he almost up ended it Gilbert finally took in Anne’s presence.

“Anne.” He said with stars in his eyes. “Why are you hear?”

Anne’s face fell instantly and she took a deep steadying breath.

“I’ll just make my way to bed now,” Bash cut in knowing he needed to leave them to this “I’ll be needing to get up with Dellie soon.”

As soon as he was gone Anne drew another breath but Gilbert decided he had other ideas.

“Marry me Anne!” Gilbert slurred, scurrying as best he could to the other end of the tub and holding out the ring in his pocket he had thought was for Winnie but he now knew had always been for Anne.

“Oh,” Said Anne softly, stepping forward and falling to her knees before Gilbert “Oh, Gilbert, I love you true I do, I’m here to ask you not to marry Winnie. But I’m afraid I have to decline.” She was crying, but it wasn’t sad, but all that seemed to do was confuse poor Gilbert.

“Why not?” Gilbert whispered almost broken “You are everything I need, you’re everything I see when I look to the future and you are the missing piece of my puzzle to true happiness.”

“Oh, Gil,” Anne sighed “you are all those things and more, but I must decline because you are scandalously drunk and although I love you dearly and one day hope to be your wife I think we need to stay children just a little longer.”

“Children?” Gilbert asked confused.

Anne nodded biting her lip “All this hurry to grow up has only caused heartache and miscommunications so I propose for now we remain children. We put such grown up things as marriage aside for now and instead enjoy each other. Grow up together, become who we each are before we become what we will be. I promise Gilbert, next time you ask my answer will be yes. But for now I am a child and far too young to be a bride and instead intend to be reckless and carefree like a child and spend a night with you in a tub.”

Gilbert was still very confused, his addled mind moving to slow to keep up with Anne but then she was gently laying him back and climbing into the tub beside him. She lay her head on his chest and moved his arms around her and slowly it sank in. She was making them an us allowing him to be hers but it was carefree and without expectation and all at once what Gilbert realised he needed. He pressed a kiss to her brow and she leaned into hit reverently for another.

Relief flooded Gilbert as the responsibility of manhood melted away. At least for one more summer he could be a boy and he could get away with a little mischief and fun with Anne by his side.


End file.
